Notes

Guiding Questions

Document A

1. (Sourcing) Who wrote this document?
Thomas R. Gray
How might the author’s background influence the content of the document?
Because he is white
When and where was it published?
jail on October 30, 1831
What kind of document is it?
It is an interview essentially
2. (Close reading) According to this document, how did Turner describe himself?
A prophet
3. (Close reading) How did the author describe Turner?
A fanatic
4. How do the two descriptions differ? What might have caused the difference in the descriptions?
Because of the racism back then Thomas Gray may have had predesposition to Nat Turner and his beliefs
5. How trustworthy is this source? Explain your reasoning.
I wouldn’t call it 100% trustworthy, but it is one of the few viewpoints we have from a primary source of how Nat Turner felt
6. Based on this document, how would you characterize Turner?
A passionate abolitionist
Document B

1. (Sourcing) Who wrote this document?
The Richmond Enquirer
How might the author’s background influence the content of the document?
They live in the south and people educated at the time like the people that would write newspapers are probs white
When and where was it published?
Richmond Enquirer
What kind of document is it?
Excerpt of a letter
2. Who was the author’s intended audience?
People living in and around richmond
How do you know this? How might the audience have affected the tone and content of the article?
The intended audience were whites so that probably made it more anti-black
3. (Close reading) According to the author of this article, what kind of person was Nat Turner?
A violent criminal
4. (Contextualization) Think about when this article was written: How might its publication date affect how the author represented Turner? Refer to your timeline if necessary.
The time was before civil war and tons of anti-black sentiment was very common
5. How trustworthy is this source? Explain.
I don’t trust this source much if at all because newspapers tend to exaggerate the truth or twist it to make a better story
6. Based on this document, how would you characterize Turner?
A Tyrant



Document C

1. (Sourcing) Who wrote this document?
Henry Garnet
How long after the Turner rebellion was this document written?
N/A, not given date
2. (Sourcing) Who was the author addressing? How might the audience have affected the tone and content of the speech?
The enslaved blacks, made it pro-black and anti-slavery
3. (Close reading) According to the author of this speech, what kind of person was Nat Turner?
A role model and hero
4. (Contextualization) How might the time and place in which this document was written influence how the author represented Turner?
Because of the time, blacks were still enslaved and people like turner were seen almost as gods being able to resist the whites
5. How trustworthy is this description of Turner?
Biased in my opinion towards him being a hero. He was revolutionary as he lead one of the first large rebellions, but I think they put him in a god status and overstate his greatness
6. Based on this document, how would you characterize Turner?
A revolutionary